The first case belongs to the metalanguage whereas the second is more likely to belong to the object language.

The two traders soon realized that the biggest case by far belonged to the federal government.

These next seven cases all belong to the locative class:

I could sense in which category he thought my case belonged.

If the case had belonged to one of the private staff men, the discussion would have progressed very differently.

This case belongs to everyone in the State of Texas and maybe the whole nation.

It got to the point one thought a case belonged to him.

"The case belonged here from the beginning," he said.

Lilco argued that the case did not belong before a Federal jury.

Now the issue is whether the case belongs in a California court.